Rejection BCG and McKinsey despite referral

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejections. In terms of your question:

Q: I am quite confused about how this could have happened. Any ideas or suggestions on how to proceed?

Unfortunately a referral helps a lot but doesn’t guarantee an interview, even from a partner. Moreover, many companies are reducing hiring during this period.

In terms of the next steps I would recommend the following:

1. Contact the partner to ask for feedback on possible improvements
2. Check for possible improvements in your CV/Cover
3. Apply to other consulting firms (if possible with referrals)
4. If nothing works, wait until the end of the ban period with McKinsey and BCG
5. Update your CV to reflect the activities you have done in the meantime
6. Find a new referral  for your application and apply

Hope this helps,

Francesco

How this could have happened is you applied to the best of the best.

Of course it's not a sure thing!

First, know that I empathize, I truly do. But you also have to recognize that, no matter who you are, nothing is ever 100%. You're also applying when there is not much hiring happening.

Remember, the following factors play a role:

• Your actual background (strong-ish)
• Strength of resume (don't know)
• Strength of referral/networking (strong)
• Demand for consultants (low)
• Supply of consultants (high)
• Inherent randomness of life/the world

Don't worry, your day will come. Remember that the greatest accomplishments come from temporary defeat!

Focus on what you DO have, not on what you don't. Land a great internship elsewhere. Explore other firms/roles. 

And, remember, you have so so many more years in which you can apply to MBB!

I was rejected my Senior year in Undergrad (Economics major as well) for BCG. 8 years later I was working there….and realized after 2 years I would way rather do other things!

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your rejection. It does sound a tad bit surprising especially given the Partner referral.

If I were in your shoes, I would reach out the recruiter, or Partner if you are close enough to them, or any friends you have in M or B to find out the reasons behind you not getting the interview.

In reality it could be multiple reasons (quota, quality of the content in your application, referral but not strong enough etc).

From then on its much easier to try and improve and make sure you get the interview the next time around you apply. 

All the best!

It is usually the case that you get invited to interview when recommended by a partner and also when at a target school. From what I have observed, MBB is really scaling back its hiring since end of last year and into the first half of this year which could be a reason you received a rejection.

The good news is you can always apply for a full time offer regardless and as things turn around hopefully you will be invited to interview then.

All the best,

Udayan

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejections!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Firstly, it's important to note that there seems to be a slowdown in recruiting among most strategy consulting companies. Although this might not be the case for your specific office, it's still worth mentioning.
• Nevertheless, given that you had a partner referral, some or all aspects of your application may not have been strong enough to secure an interview. In such a scenario, seeking the help of a coach to review your application could be beneficial in avoiding the same situation with future applications.
• Lastly, I would advise you to reach out to the partner to gather more information. Please keep in mind that he/she is one of the company's highest representatives, so it's best to take their feedback with a pinch of salt.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Sorry to hear!

You are likely affected by the hiring freeze that many McK and BCG offices are now having globally.

Personal experience

Some of my clients' interviews were already rescheduled or fully cancelled. On top of that, I have some that haven't even received an invite from some firms even though they are in the top 3-5% of the average candidate profile.

Impact on hiring

While for all firms fewer people make it through resume screening, only some firms adjust the bar for the interviews. The latter are happy to find enough people to make it through the selection process. In that case, they would extend offers, potentially with starting dates further in the future.

We might even see a full hiring stop, depending on how bad the situation becomes.

Impact on engagements and job security

External advisor spending is usually one of the first expenses to be cut during an economic crisis.

Yes, recovery and transformation projects increase, but every other consulting vertical decreases by much more. I have been told stories from 2008/09, where new hires were not staffed for 6 months and then let go without ever having worked on an actual engagement. 

It all depends on how bad the global economic situation is going to get. My hunch is we see a partial to full-hiring stop by early next year for a couple of months up to 1 year. Let's hope I am wrong :-)

On top of that, keep in mind that tech firms and other industries already started their lay-offs, which means that the potential supply of job seekers increases even more compared to now lower demand for them.

At this point, it makes sense to have valid backup options available, potentially for industries that are less affected by external events (e.g., pharmaceuticals)

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

sorry about that outcome. I would follow-up with the partner who gave you the referral to find out more. A slowdown in hiring across the industry could be a driving factor. Usually a partner referral gets you at least to the first round interview - otherwise it would pretty much undermine the partner's credibility. 

Best wishes

It's a mix of slowdown in recruiting + your CV not being good enough (it's not that it is not good, but maybe not good enought in the current market environment).

But best approach would be to send a note to the partner asking for some feedback and advice.

Assuming that you're applying to the undergraduate summer internship for the London office, 

(1) It could be that you missed the campus recruiting deadline

OR

(2) You have not demonstrated sufficient skills or experiences related to your interest in consulting. Oxbridge are target schools for MBB, but uncertain how you define “good” internships

OR

(3) Your non-citizen or non-PR status has hurt your candidacy (unfortunate - but it happens)

OR

(4) Higher than usual conversion from Spring Insight programmes + reduced headcount
 

Please keep in mind that the London office is one of the most popular offices internationally, therefore a rejection may not reflect on the quality of your candidacy, but rather strong competition amidst hiring slowdown.

All the best!